Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



J. G; MAGLAREN. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.26, 190B. RENEWED JUNE 20, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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J. G. MAGLARBN. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.26, 1908. RENEWED JUNE 20, 1910.

Patented N0v.29, 1910.

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Mar /t ay Tii E NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, n. c.

JAMES Gr. MACLAREN, OF VIEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 LAMSON CON- SOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed March 25, 1908, Serial No. 423,180. Renewed June 20, 1910. Serial No. 567,999.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. MAOLAREN, of lVeehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New J ersey have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic- Despatch-Tube Apparatus, of which the tol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and its object is to provide means for controlling and limiting the flow of air through the transmission tubes to the interval necessary for the transmission and delivery of carriers and for automatically switching or short circuiting the flow of air from the transmission tubes to the atmosphere when the carriers have delivered thereby reducing the resistance and unloading the blower or pump and consequently effecting a saving of power.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated a form of construction embodying my invention in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a portion of Fig. 1 showing the normal position of the controlling mechanism. Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the position of the mechanism when a carrier is in transmission.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is a tube for the transmission of carriers and connects the central station C with the terminal D controlled by the ordinary delivery valve D at sub-station S.

B is a tube for the return of carriers and connects the terminal D at sub-station S with the terminal G controlled by the valve G at central station C.

F represents a bell-mouth or air inlet for despatching carriers in tube A and E is an ordinary inlet for inserting carriers into the tube B.

M represents an electric motor adapted to drive the blower J through a belt M at a constant speed and H is a conduit or air tube connecting the blower J with the terminal G.

N is a casing having mounted therein the diaphragm N, said casing above said diaphragm being connected with the conduit H by a tube K and with the atmosphere by a branch tube L having an air inlet or opening L. The valve N adapted to control the air inlet L is mounted on the lower end of the diaphragm stem N and carries the weight N The casing N beneath the diaphragm N is connected by the passage P with a casing R having a chamber S normally closed from said passage P by a valve R actuated by the spring R Mounted in the chamber S is a diaphragm R connected with and adapted to operate the valve B through a link R R is a chamber located above the diaphragm R and connected with the chamber S by means of the bypass R controlled by the timing valve R R is a port for admitting air to chamber R and is controlled by a valve R mounted on one end of the bell-crank lever R and which valve is held normally closed by spring R On the opposite arm of lever B is an armature T adapted to be operated by a magnet T which magnet is in circuit with the battery Z and switch 0 at central station C through wires 1, 2 and 3, the switch 8 at sub-station S being connected in multiple through wires 4: and 5.

The operation of the device is as follows,-The motor h I drives the blower J at a constant speed and with no carriers in transit the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, air being taken in through tube L pipe K and conduit H to the blower J permitting the blower to operate nor mally unloaded. If it is desired to despatch a carrier from central station C to substation S the operator inserts the carrier into the bellmouth F and closes the switch 0 which energizes the magnet T attracting the armature T and opening the valve R The valve N normally otters suiticient resistance to the air entering the tube L to create a vacuum in the casing N above the diaphragm N to hold said valve N open and this vacuum existing in chamber S has exhausted the air from chamber R through bypass R The opening of the valve R destroys this vacuum in chamber R allowing the diaphragm R to be drawn down by the vacuum in chamber S and through link R opening the valve R against the action of spring R and admitting the vacuum to the casing N beneath diaphragm N which in conjunction with weight N closes the valve N cutting ofi the flow of air through the tube L. The operl ator now releases the switch 0 deenergizing. j magnet T and permitting the valve R to close. T he air now entering through bellmouth F drives the carrier through tube it toward sub-station S. Upon the closing of valve R the admission of air is cut off and 35 is gradually re the vacuum in chamber t stored through bypass R and timed by valve R so that by the time the carrier has delivered at substation S the valve R has been closed by spring '1 cutting off the vacuum from the under side of diaphragm N. The vacuum above the diaphragm N now acts to lift said diaphragm and valve N short circuiting the flow of air through the open ing L and tube L relieving the load upon the blower.

In despatching a carrier from sub-station S to central station C, the operator opens the inlet E inserts the carrier into the tube B what I claim as new is 1. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a. blower or pump, a connection between said transmission tube and said blower or pump, a branch tube or air inlet in communication with said connection, a valve adapted to control the flow of air through said air inlet, mechanism operated on one side by the blower for normally holding said valve open to admit air to said inlet thereby short circuiting the flow of air to and relieving the load upon said blower, and means for causing the blower to act on the opposite side of said mechanism to close said valve to cut off the flow of air through said inlet and switch the same through said transmission tube for driving carriers.

2. In a pneumatic despatch tube appa ratus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a blower or pump, a connection between said transmission tube and said blower or pump, a branch tube or air inlet in communication with said connection, a valve adapted to control the flow of air through said air inlet, mechanism operated on one side by the blower for normally holding said valve open to admit air to said inlet thereby short circuiting the flow of air to and relieving the load upon said blower, means for causing the blower to act on the opposite side of said mechanism to close said valve to cut off the iiOW of air through said inlet and switch the same through said transmission tube for driving carriers, and time controlled means for restoring said valve to normal or open position.

2;. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatns, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a blower or pump, means for driving said blower or pump, a connection between said blower or pump and said transmission tube, a branch tube or air inlet in communication with said connection, a valve adapted to control the flow of air through said air inlet, a diaphragm connected with said valve and adapted to be actuated by the blower on one side to hold said valve normally open thereby short circuiting the flow of air to and relieving the load upon said blower, a normally closed passage connecting the opposite side of said diaphragm with said blower, and means for opening said passage to operate saic diaphragm and close said valve whereby the flow of air is switched through said transmission tube for driving carriers.

In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a blower or pump, means for driving said blower or pump, a connection between said blower or pump and said transmission tube, a branch tube or air inlet in communication with said connection, a valve adapted to control the flow of air through said air inlet, a diaphragm connected with said valve and adapted to be actuated by the blower on one side to hold said valve normally open thereby short-circniting the flow of air to and relieving the load upon said blower, a normally closed passage connecting the opposite side of said diaphragm with said blower, means for opening said passage to operate said diaphragm and close said valve whereby the iiow of air is switched through said transmission tube for driving carriers, and means for timing the closure of said passage to permit said valve to resume its normal or open position.

in a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a tube for the transmission of carriers, a blower or pump, a connection from said tube to said blower whereby air is exhausted from said tube, a branch tube provided with an air inlet and in communication with said connection, a chamber formed in said branch tube, a diaphragm in said chamber, a valve arranged. to close said air inlet and connected on said diaphragm, a second connection from said chamber on the other side of the diaphragm from the branch tube to said exhaust connection, a valve in such second connection, means connected to said valve name to this specification in the presence of 10 to'operate the same, said means being ar-, two subscribing Witnesses, this nineteenth ranged to open the valve upon the introducday of March A. D. 1908.

tion of a. carrier into the transmission tube and to then close said valve, and means con- JAMES MAOLAREN' trolling the operation of said first means in Witnesses:

closing said valve. ELSIE MAoLAREN,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my LoUIs M. LANMAN. 

